Top 10 Fastest Birds in the World

There are over ten thousand (10,000 +) bird species in the world. Ever wondered which is the fastest flying bird? Well, this list contains top 10 fastest flying Birds in the world. These winged fellows are simply awesome. Some of these birds fly in the air constantly for several days and never come to ground in that period.

10. Pintail

105 km/hr (65 mph)

Also known as Northern Pintail, this duck is found in northern Europe, Asia and North America. These ducks are migratory birds which fly south of their breeding range in winter, to the equator. Their wingspan is of almost 3 feet long. These ducks are also known as ‘greyhound of the air’ because of their impressive speed.

9. Mallard

105 km/hr (65 mph)

Ancestor of most breeds of domestic ducks; it is also known as wild duck. It is found in Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. In Australia and New Zealand it has been introduced. These ducks have wingspan of 81 to 98 cm.

8. Teal

109 km/hr (68 mph)

It is also known as Common Teal or Eurasian Teal. It breeds in temperate Eurasia and migrates towards south in the winter. These ducks have a wingspan of about 53 to 59 cm. These ducks sometimes form very large flocks. As usual in birds, the male common teal is more colorful than the female.

7. Eider Duck

113 km/hr (70 mph)

Common Eider is the largest duck found in the Northern Hemisphere. These ducks have a wingspan of about 80–110 cm. These are highly sociable and like to stay close inshore. Males are more beautiful than their females.

6. Canvasback Duck

116 km/hr (72 mph)

It is a large diving duck found in North America. With a wingspan of 79–89 it is the largest of the North American diving ducks. These ducks migrate to warmer climates during the winter season flying in beautifully V-shaped formations.

5. White-rumped swift

124 km/hr (77 mph)

White-rumped Swifts occur in sub-Saharan Africa, Spain and Morocco. These little swifts prefer man-made structures such as bridges and buildings for their nests. These birds usually lay one or two eggs. Its body length is 14 to 15 cm.

4. Red-breasted merganser

129 km/hr (80 mph)

These are also known as Mergus serrator or Saw-bill because of their long serrated beak. These ducks are widely spreaded over Europe, Asia, Greenland and North America. They have a wingspan of about 70–86 cm. They migrate south during the winter season.

3. Spur-winged goose

142 km/hr (88 mph)

This is a large bird in the family Anatidae. These are largest wild goose in the world weighing from 4 to 6.8kg. One of the first sub-Saharan species known to science, these are found in the wetlands of sub-Saharan. Their wingspan can range from 150-200 cm.

2. Frigate bird

153 km/hr (95 mph)

Also known as the man of war bird and the pirate bird, it is a species of seabird found in warmer, tropical regions. They consist of 5 species within family fregatidae. Frigate birds have been known to stay in the air for nearly a whole week and also their prenatal care duration is longest of that of any bird.

1. Spine-tailed swift

171 km/hr (106 mph)

Also known as the white-throated needletail, this bird can fly at a top speed of 106 mph. They spend most of their time in the air. These swifts feed on flying insects. These are found in Central Asia and Southern Siberia and in the winter season they migrate to the Indian subcontinent, Australia and Southeast Asia.

NOTE:

This list only contains speed generated through the wings of these birds. If we include speed generated through diving, then the King is “peregrine falcon” which is also fastest living creature on the planet. It can reach incredible speed of 320 km/hr (200 mph) as it goes down upon prey from great heights.